Embossed decorating



Jan. 27, 1953 FlScHER 2,626,562

EMBOSSED DECORATING Filed March 25, 1948 Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMBOSSED DECORATING Howard P. Fischer, Monaca, Pa.

Application March 23, 1948, Serial No. 16,509

This invention relates generally to ware decorating and more particularly to method and apparatus for producing embossed decorations on ware.

Superimposed layers of decorating material on ware, whether the layers are in the same or different colors, results in a raised portion on the decorative design and is defined as an embossed decoration. In the present art two or more decorating layers may be painted on the ware by hand or applied by" two separate stencil screening processes.

The principal object of this invention is the method and apparatus for producing embossed decorations on ware in a single operation.

Another object is the provision of a screen which produces embossed decorating in a single step and the method of making the same.

' Another object is the provision of a method and apparatus for making embossed designs on ware with a single screening step.

Another object is the provision of a method and apparatus for making embossed decorations of varied coloration by a single screening step.

Another object is the provision of a method.

and apparatus for screening decorating material on an article in varied thicknesses.

Another object is the provision of a method and apparatus for forming a screen stencil by die impressing and masking. p

' Other objects and advantages may be apparent in the following description and claims.

' A practical embodiment illustrating the principles of this invention is shown on the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is an expanded perspective view of a stylus, a screen and a backup plate;

Fig. 2 is a'perspective view of an impressed screen;

' Fig. 3 is a view in section of an impressed screen comprising this invention; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an embossed decoration.

Referring to the drawings, the stencil screen II] is shown attached to the frame II. This screen should be constructed of a material having a sufficiently fine mesh that will not print itself even though the decorating material used therewith is rather stifi. The screen should be constructed of a material that will receive and retain an impression or indentation. A wire mesh screen will hold indentations or impressions very nicely and the same is true of a properly plasticized fabric mesh screen. Regardless of which material is employed for the stencil screen it is 8 Claims. (Cl. 101-127) preferable to use a soft squeegee in order to avoid flattening out the indentations when the screen is used in producing repeated embossed decorations.

The screen l0, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, is a Wire mesh screen tacked to the frame II and having a' stencil l2 'made in the center of the screen. The stencil l2 represents'an outline of a leaf and can be reproduced by placing an actual or artificial leaf on the screen and painting the whole of the exposed surface with an impermeable ink or decorative material. When the leaf is removed its outline lies in relief on the screen. The outline of a stencil may also be used by painting on the impermeable substance to produce the outline of the stencil or by painting the part which is to form the stencil with a soluble material and then covering the whole of the screen with an insoluble masking material. The soluble material forming the stencil carries the insoluble material with it. Such a process is very similar to that of producing the stencil by a photographic process which consists in selecting a suitably backed film of material capable of being sensitized, expanded and then developed into inkpermeable and ink-impermeable portions and further capable of becoming embedded in and merging with the screen mesh. After the emul sion of the film on the screen it is sensitized, properly exposed and developed to provide an inkimpermeable background M with the inkpermeable portion washed out of the screen or open, and in the form of the stencil I2. The leaf stencil I2, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, was produced by the photographic process and is of course plain in Fig. 1. The pigment or decorating material surface of the screen is placed over the block l5 having a softer or more resilient surface l6. When the screen I0 is lying flat on the resilient surface the stylus I! may be used to form indentations or impressions on the article or ware side of the screen stencil. Since the stencil 12 shown is in the shape of a leaf, the stylus is employed to make indentations and impressions simulating the veins or fibrous structure of the leaf, the lighter indentations or impressions being toward the perimeter of the stenciled leaf and becoming increasingly heavier as they approach the main or central veins which eventually becomes the stem of the leaf. The stylus is painted to provide fairly light and delicate lines. As pressure is increased on the stylus in working up the veins toward the center the indentations or impressions become deeper and wider. It will be noted that'the stylus is pointed but is blunt and heavy and increased pressure will widen the indentations of the screen to a greater degree than to make it deeper. The screens, regardless of whether they are wire or fabric, can only stand a certain amount of deformation or they will rupture. The backup resilient surface [6 may be soft enough to take and retain the surface indentations made by the stylus to properly support the indentations in the screen while they are being made. A soft white pine surface is excellent for this purpose; Some forms of soft plastics and rubber also provide good backing surfaces although the softer elasto' V mers do not retain the impressions. The rubber should be sufficiently flexible to allow the stylus to make the impression but insufliciently' flexible to cause the selected stylus to rupture the screen, If the backup surface I 6 is rubber and the screen is merely rested thereon or is suspended in the plane of the surface thereof, the elastic memory of the rubber returning to a plainsmooth surface will not provide suflicient force to flatten out the indentations previously formed.

In using the stylus on the screen over the backup surface It, the indentations of the fibrous vein structure may be impressed in the screen as noted at H within the open stencil portion I2 depicting the leaf. The stiffness of the screen, which is actually deformed by the stylus impressions, permits it to retain the impressions even though they may be temporarily flattened out by a squeegee passing over the backor pigment surface of the screen,

The indentations or impressions illustrated are made. by hand but they can be produced by a raised stamp or die. The stamp or die may operate on the screen against a surface such as illustrated at It or male and female die parts may be used on opposite sides of the screen whether it is mounted on a frame or not. If the design is merely an outline stencil having indentations within the stenciled area in the manner of the leaf illustrated it may be produced by mating halves of a die and while the die halves are compressed on the screen the whole of' the latter'may be painted or immerged in a masking solution which when drained and dried provides acomplete stenciled screen with. indentations within the stenciled portion; The die parts keep the stenciled portion of the screen clear of the: masking material that is ink. impermeable.

Regardless of the method employed to-afiix the indentations 0r impressions on the ware surface of. the screen, varied depths and widths of the impressionsv provide different degrees of embossingonv the decoration and also different shades of color. The heavy stem I8-of the leaf l-9' shown on the glass plate 20 of Fig.- 4 is much larger and much darker than the embossings depicting the smaller and lighter fibrous veins 2| toward the edges of the leaf. The heavier. or larger the embossing the deeper the color. Then again some decorating material provides a different coloring effect when it is in greater quantities than when in lesser quantities, which does not seemto be a mere variation in the degreeof. the color employed.

The embossing stencil screen, such as shown, may be applied on flat or arcuate ware and is obviouslyadaptable for use on manual as well as-on automaticimachines.

Iclaim:

1. Themethod of producing an embossed deco:- ration on an article through: an: open screen stencil having impressions of variable depthin dented in the screen mesh which consists in bringing the impressed indented surface of the screen stencil and the surface of the article into engagement, and by a single application forcing a decorating material through the screen stencil to the surface of the article by a wiping squeegee action to flex the screen and flow the decorating material to deposit the same in varied thicknesses in accordance with the impressions indented in the screenmesh.

2. The-'methodof producing'arf' embossed decoration on a ceramic article through an open screen stencil having impressions of variable depth indented in the screen mesh which consists in bringing the impressed indented surface of the screen stencil and the surface of the article into engagement, applying a decorating material that'i's" relatively stiff to the other surface of the open screen stencil, by a single application forcing the relatively stiff decorating material through the screen stencil to the surface of the article by a wiping squeegee action to flex the screen and flow the relatively stiff decorating material to deposit the same in varied thicknesses in accordance with the impressions indented in the screen mesh, and burning the deposited relatively stiff decorating material on the surface of the article to affix the decorating material thereon in its varied thickness.

3. The method of producing an embossed decoration on aceramic article through an open screen stencil having impressions of variable depth indented inthe screen meshw-hich consists inbringing. the impressed indented surface of the screen stenciland the surface of the article into engagement, bya single application forcing a colored decorating material through the screen stencil to the surface: of the article by a wiping squeegee action to flex the screen and flow the colored decorating material to deposit the same in varied thicknesses in accordance with the impressions indented in the screen mesh, and burning the colored decorating material on the surface of the article to affix the decoration in varied coloration dueto thevaried thickness thereof.-

4. The method-of producing an embossed decoration on an article through an open screenstencil which consists in making impressions of variable; depth by indenting the screen mesh in the article side of the stencil portionof the screen, bringing the impressed indented surface of; the screen stencil and the surface of the article into engagement, and by a single application forcing a decorating material through the screen stencil to the surface of the articleby a wiping squeegee action= toflow and deposit: the decorating material in varied thicknesses in accordance with the impressions indented in the screen mesh.v

5. The method of producing an embossed decoration. ofvaried coloration which consists in forming indentations of variable depth in the screen mesh on the article surfacev of a screen stencil, applying a colored decorating material to the screen stencil, forcing the colored decorating material through the screen stencil to the article to transmit and deposit onthe subject a greater quantity of the colored decorating material in the vicinity of the indentations in a single-application,, and burning the decorating. material on the subject to amx. the colored decorating material thereto and produce an embossed decoration with heavier sections providing a variation in color from the light totheheavy section thereof.

6 A decorating stencil screen" consisting of a stiff mesh having an ink-permeable portion surrounded by ink-impermeable surface, indentations of variable depth fixed in the ink-permeable portion of the stencil to form chambers when brought into engagement with the surf-ace of the articles to be decorated.

7. A decorating stencil screen consisting of a mesh having an ink-permeable portion surrounded by ink-impermeable surface, indentations of variable depth following a pattern and fixed in the ink-permeable portion of the mesh to define chambers to transport greater quantities of decorating material to produce an embossed pattern in the decoration.

8. The method of producing an embossed decoration of varying degrees in the same color by use of a screen mesh which consists in the steps of forming indentations in the screen mesh on the article engaging surface thereof, applying a single color decorating material to the other side of the screen mesh, forcing by one application the single color decorating material through the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 318,943 Beck June 2, 1885 1,111,002 Bostwick Sept. 22, 1914 1,220,850 Jacobs Mar. 27, 1917 1,987,593 Burgdorfer et a1. Jan. 15, 1935 2,038,339 Beebe Apr. 21, 1936 2,267,787 Ciavola, Dec. 30, 1941 2,370,186 Oldofredi Feb. 2'7, 1945 

